UX Design Case Study: Enhancing the User’s Experience in the Dining Area

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UXM Community

35 min readSep 5, 2022

Hello! I’m Payal Talekar. A Business Administration graduate wanting to switch to UI/UX Design. This is my first Design Thinking Project and case study. I was reading and watching videos related to the UI and UX field a few months back but started learning about it seriously after enrolling in the UI and UX Mastery course provided by Growth School. And, This is my first project under the mentorship of Anudeep Ayyagari.

Project Walkthrough Video:

You can check the walkthrough video of the project if you don’t have time to go through the entire project. This is a summary explanation video of the project where you will understand the whole process done to get the best outcome for the problem.

InShot_DT_01_3-minutes_video.mp4

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Project Overview:

I was working on this project for the last three weeks wherein we were divided into groups of 7 people. We were given different areas of the house as listed below:
Balcony
Parking
Terrace
Living Room
Home Office
Dining Area
Kitchen
Bedroom
Bathroom
Storage Areas
Utility Area

We all had to choose one area different from the rest of the members and try to look at the core problems, people were facing related to that area. For our project, we have to choose other five members of our group as our users whom we going to interview and understand their problems. After understanding all the problems in that area and knowing the reasons behind them, we have to work on those problems by applying the design thinking process and bringing up the solution that can solve these problems for a large number of people which will also impact the business in return.

What is The Design Thinking Process?

Design thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that an individual or team uses to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test. Involving five phases — Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test — it is most useful to tackle problems that are ill-defined or unknown. You may be wondering what are these steps all about.
1. Empathize
Knowing the people you’re designing for, so you understand their needs better.
2. Define
Deciding on who you want to design for and what you want to help them with.
3. Ideate
Coming up with different solutions that might be useful to people — here, there are no bad ideas!
4. Prototype
Quickly creating a prototype of your best idea by using the necessary resources, based on the solutions you ideated.
5. Test
Taking your prototype to your user and get feedback, going back to the first stage, and keep doing it.

My Problem Area:

As I mentioned in the introduction we were given 11 different areas of the house and we were to choose one of them. So, out of all these areas I chose Dining Area. I chose this area as the house in which I live, there is no dedicated dining area. I always felt issues while having meals and regarding kitchen stuff since the Dining room and kitchen are very closely related to each other. Therefore, I always felt like designing these areas according to my needs. Since I can choose only one topic so I chose the Dining area.
As the Problem Area was a broad topic in itself and that was the challenging thing about this project. So, we have to ask the users and find out ourselves what the problem is for a large number of people. And, which problems are important to be solved. And, that was exciting for me. We also have to be in a detective role to find the actual problem😉.

Goals:

The goal of this project is to enhance the experience of the end-users in the Dining area of the house. By solving the problems that a large number of users might be facing.

Empathize:

The broadness of the problem that was given to us made this stage exciting and confusing at the same time for me. The first stage of the process is where we have to conduct the interviews of our users after framing the questions ourselves to understand their needs and look at things from their perspective. All the confusion started disappearing and everything started making sense after the interviews. Here, an important lesson that I learned is not to bring my bias into their situation and problems and focus on really understanding their needs and pain points. I also learned that the user might not know the exact problem that they are facing as they are used to it, but we as designers, have to find out and understand with our questioning and logic that their experience can be better in those situations. So, questions and the counter questions that I asked in the interviews with my users are as follows:

1. Can you tell me about yourself in brief?
2. Can you describe the house you live in? How many rooms and the situation in the house overall?
3. Can you describe the kitchen area of the house? And, how is the Dining Area located in reference to the kitchen?
4. What is the situation of the Dining Area? Can you describe it?
5. How many members are in your house? How many people can sit in your Dining area comfortably? Is it comfortable to sit even when the guests come?
6. Do you have a Dining Table in the house? If yes, what do the table and chairs look like? And, how are they arranged in the Dining area?
7. What do you prefer to keep on the Dining table while having a meal? What do you expect the table to have more while having a meal? Do you face any difficulty with that currently?
8. What kind of culture would your family and you prefer to have while having a meal?
9. What you think could be better or different in your Dining area according to your situation in the area?
10. What are the things you like about your dining area? Why do you like it?
11. What are the things you don’t like about your dining area? The reasons behind it?
12. Do you or any of your family members complain anything about your dining area as well as kitchen often? And, why?
13. Do you consider the Dining area as an important area of your house? Why?
14. If you were given to design and create the whole dining area according to you, what it would look like and why you would want that?

Key Insights from the Users:

User 1
Shriyog Wable
29 years old
Digital Marketer
Ex-Filmmaker and Traveler, Believes in eating with the family and having a family bond. Believe in Minimalism, Love to Explore and Travel.
Interactions with the user:-
A family of 3 members, living in the 3 BHK flat. The dining space is near the kitchen. Everyone in the family can sit comfortably at the dining table. The Dining Table is such that it allows only family members to sit comfortably and the position is such that it allows using only 3 sides of the rectangular table as one side is kept close to the wall. The person sitting on one of the sides of the table comes into the way to the kitchen. When all the people are sitting at the table, some people may block the way to the kitchen. The chairs are not aesthetically pleasing and comfortable. The culture Shriyog’s family prefers while having meals is that everyone sits together and eats. And, one person is always serving others first before eating themselves. Shriyog expects to have his dining area to be minimalist, open for the air and sunlight to come inside the space. He also wishes that the chairs and table would be more comfortable. Shriyog often complains about the space that is remaining around the dining table for doing other activities. He dislikes the fact that the person who is serving feels uncomfortable serving and has to wait for everyone to finish their meals.
Gaps identified in the experience of the user:-
- The size and the position of the dining table are not ideal for the space.
- The dining table and chairs acquire a large amount of space which becomes a hindrance to other activities.
- There is no proper way for sunlight and air to come into the dining area.
- The table and the chairs are not comfortable for the user. And, it also remains underutilized for the function it is serving.
- There is difficulty in serving the food while having a meal.

User 2
Rakesh Bepari(Sanku)
23 years old
CS Graduate
Coder, Investigating personality, Loves to ask questions, Curious to learn, and career-oriented.
Interactions with the user:-
The Dining area is in the living room. And, separate from the kitchen. The Dining table is kept in the centre of the room. The Dining table is oval, its legs are made up of steel and the surface is of glass. 5 people can sit comfortably at the Dining table. The TV is located in the same room. And, the position of table and sofa is such that 3 people can sit on the sofa and 2 people on chairs. The people who sit on the sofa cannot face the dining table while watching TV. As the surface of the table is made up of glass, the hot utensils have to be kept on the stand. And, the most care needed to be taken while placing something on the table. Due to the oval shape of the table, if the things are kept on either side of the table, the person sitting on the opposite side has to extend themselves and find it difficult to acquire the things on the table. Sanku wishes that his dining table would be wider so that more things could have been kept on it. He dislikes the fact that the people who are sitting on the sofa can either face the dining table or the TV, but can’t face both at the same time. Sanku likes to have his meal with his family. And, wishes that his dining area could have more space left after keeping the table and chairs. He wishes that the dining area would have a calm environment while eating so he can relax and enjoy the TV. Sanku finds difficulty in moving the table and cleaning the area underneath the table due to its heavy weight.
Gaps identified in the experience of the user:-
- The shape of the table makes it difficult for all the people sitting at the dining table to grab the things on the table.
- The table and chairs acquire a lot of space in the room and becomes difficult to have space for other activities in the room.
- The arrangement of the table, sofa, and chairs in the room is making it uncomfortable for everyone to watch the TV while having the meal on the table.
- The design of the table allows only a few things to be kept on the table.
- The table is making it tough for the user to clean the space.
- Due to the glass surface of the table, most care is needed to be kept while using it.

User 3
Anjali Dabral
26 years old
Junior UI/UX Designer
Engineer switched into UI/UX Designing, Working professionally in a startup.
Interactions with the user:-
The Dining area is separated by the arch in the kitchen. The kitchen is near to the dining area, so it becomes easy to get anything from the kitchen. There are only 3 members in the family and the rectangular dining table is big enough for 6 people to sit. The way to the balcony goes from the dining area, so the person sitting in front of this entrance, the view becomes pleasant for them. Anjali likes to have her meal with her family. The dining table is always covered with a mat to keep it protected. Anjali’s dining area is such that a 3/4th part of the kitchen is visible from the dining area. She likes the fact that she could see her mother working in the kitchen but also dislikes the fact that when guests come there is no privacy in the kitchen if they are sitting in the dining area. Anjali feels that they should have a TV in their dining area so they can enjoy TV while having a meal but the space in the room is such that if the TV is kept in the room, it might be much closer to the eyes who are sitting on the dining table. Anjali dislikes the fact that she could not manage the dining area properly due to her busy schedule. The unnecessary things end up landing on the dining table to keep other spaces clean. Also, the almirah in the dining area always remains mismanaged and it is difficult to manage it.
Gaps identified in the experience of the user:
- The management issues on the dining table and for the almirah in the space need to be fixed.
- There is no privacy in the kitchen when the guests come and sit in the dining area.
- The arrangement for having a TV in the dining area needs to be designed for the area where there is not much space for a TV.

User 4
Rakesh Patil
28 years old
Product Designer
Lives in Germany, Loves music, Conscious about his physique, And Loves reading books.
Interactions with the user:-
Rakesh lives in Germany with a roommate. Lives in a single-room apartment. In Rakesh’s house, the kitchen is attached to the living room and the dining area is in front of the kitchen. Most of the time Rakesh likes to have his meal on his dining table but he also sometimes prefers to have his meal on his working desk. The Dining table is rectangular and is comfortable for 4 people to sit together and have their meal. He always likes to keep a few things on the dining table to make it look good for the space. Rakesh likes the fact that his table is small and comfortable for the members living in the house and doesn’t occupy much space in the room. The sofa in the room also makes it comfortable for the guests to sit in his house. He also likes the fact that he has the TV in his dining space so that he can chill and enjoy his meal time while watching TV. Rakesh does not like to keep many things on the dining table while having a meal, which can make the table crowded. But, at the same time, he also doesn’t like the fact that he has to get up, again and again, to bring things from the kitchen while having his meal. Rakesh finds it difficult to clean the space underneath the table and the chairs as the tables are rigid.
Gaps identified in the experience of the user:-
- The difficulty in bringing all the things needed while having a meal from the kitchen to the dining area needs to be fixed.
- Having all the things needed on or near the dining table while having a meal needs to be solved.
- The difficulty in cleaning the space because of dining table and chairs need to be fixed.

User 5
Sneha Singh
22 years old
B.Sc. Graduate
Belongs to Varanasi, Loves to spend time with family, and has a fun-loving personality.
Interactions with the user:-
Lives in Varanasi with her siblings, parents, and grandma. Lives in a traditional house having a verandah in the middle. Sneha’s Dining area is separate from her Kitchen. Sneha’s mother finds it very difficult to bring things from the kitchen to the dining area as the kitchen is many steps away from the dining area. Sneha has a rectangular dining table with 6 chairs. In Sneha’s house, everyone prefers to have their meal on their own time. And, sometimes Sneha and her siblings also prefer to eat in their rooms. Sneha’s family prefers to bring everything prepared on the table with water before having a meal so everyone can sit together and enjoy the meal. If anything is forgotten to be brought to the table while having a meal, then it becomes a very unpleasant experience to bring things from the kitchen. The dining table in Sneha’s house is big enough to keep all the things on it, so she rarely finds it difficult to keep the things on the table. Some few things are always kept on the table for decoration. Sneha’s house is big enough to keep the big table and chairs, so there is no issue related to space. The table is wooden and the chairs are of sponge material to make it comfortable to sit on. Sneha likes the photo frames and wall clock hanging in the area making it look better. While sitting on the chair, Sneha always feels concerned about the chair banging on the table or the person next to her. Due to the large size and rectangular shape of the table, the person sitting on the corner of the table finds it difficult to grab the things on another side of the table. She also dislikes the fact that she has to care a lot about the glass of water preventing it from falling. The lighting and connection issues are very frequent in Sneha’s house and that affects the experience of the dining room as well. Sometimes, she also feels that the colour and pattern of the table should be changeable, she doesn’t like the fact that she has to see only one colour all the time. Sneha likes the fact that there is a proper way for air and sunlight to come into their house and dining area. For Sneha, the dining area is an important part of her house for having good communication in the family. Sneha wishes to make her dining table smaller to allow more space in the room.
Gaps identified in the experience of the user:-
- There is difficulty in bringing things from the kitchen to the dining area.
- If the user has to get up in between the meal and bring the stuff from the kitchen it is even more unpleasant.
- There is not enough comfort for the height of the table while sitting.
- It is difficult for people sitting on the opposite sides of the table to grab the things on the table due to their shape and size.
- There is an issue with light and electricity in the house and also in the dining area.
- The big size of the table is occupying much space in the room, especially when not in use.
- The concern about a glass of water falling from the table every time needs to be solved.

Define:

After taking the interviews, I got many insights from the users about the problems and discomfort they were facing. Now, I have to list down all the problems that all the users were facing and the reasons, why they need to be solved. The important lesson I learned here was that we might have our concept of what the problem is, but as UX Designers, we have to keep our concepts aside and just try to see from users’ perspectives what they are facing. Also, it was very important to understand here what were the problems that are feasible for solving and which problems were just imaginary concepts that are not feasible. All the problems and gaps that I found to be solved and why it was important for users to be solved are as follows:-

1. The number of people who can sit at the dining table is limited — This problem is important for Shriyog because when the guests come to his house it becomes difficult to make arrangements for them due to its size and also one of the sides of the table can’t be utilized due to its position.
2. The chairs are not comfortable — This is a problem because of the design of the chairs and the limited space in the dining area.
3. The space in the dining area remains very little after putting the dining table and chairs — This is because there is less space in the dining room and it is also being used for other activities besides just having a meal. After putting on the table and chairs, it is difficult to utilize the space for other activities.
4. The person who is serving doesn’t feel comfortable — This is because after putting all the chairs in the dining area, there is very less space left to serve between two people sitting. And, also the person has to wait for others to eat first for serving.
5. There is no proper way for air and sunlight to come into the house — This is important to solve for Shriyog because the dining area is near to the kitchen and when smoke comes from the kitchen it also enters into the dining area, which makes not so pleasant experience for the people present there.
6. Less space is left after keeping the table and chairs in the dining area — This problem is important for Sanku because the living room and dining room in his house are the same. So, he wants more space left in the living area for other activities.
7. The arrangement of the table, chairs, and sofa is not proper in the dining room — This is important to be solved for him because in his house the dining table is arranged near to the sofa and there is also a TV in the room. The people sitting on the sofa find it difficult to face the TV and dining table both at the same time.
8. There is difficulty in keeping utensils on the dining table while having a meal — This problem is important for him because Sanku’s dining table is made up of glass and much care has to be kept while keeping hot and heavy utensils.
9. There is difficulty in grabbing things on the table for everyone sitting at the dining table — This is important to solve for Sanku because the oval shape of the dining table makes it difficult for the person sitting on the opposite side to grab the things.
10. Difficulty in cleaning the area underneath the table — This is a problem for him because of the heavy weight and rigidness of the table. Since the surface of the table is made up of glass, the utmost care has to be kept while cleaning.
11. Difficulty in managing and keeping the dining table and room organized — This is important for Anjali because in Anjali’s house everyone is working. So, no one can dedicate time to managing the things on the table and in the room.
12. There is no privacy in the kitchen when guests sit in the dining area — This problem is important to solve for Anjali because the 3/4th part of the kitchen is visible from the dining area and she doesn’t like this fact when guests come.
13. It is difficult to manage the Almirah of the dining area — Because all the extra things from the kitchen are kept in the almirah and as all the members in Anjali’s house are working professionals so there is not much time left to manage the almirah.
14. Difficult to arrange the TV in the dining area — This is important for her because after working for the whole day, Anjali wishes that she could watch the TV while having a meal and enjoy her time with the family.
15. Feel discomfort when many things are needed to be kept while having a meal — This problem is important for Rakesh because he has a small dining table in his house, on which he can keep only limited things.
16. Doesn’t like when has to get up again and again to bring things from the kitchen while having a meal — This is a problem for him because he has a small dining table and he doesn’t like to keep many things on the table while having a meal.
17. Find it difficult to clean the space due to dining table and chairs — Because in Rakesh’s house, the table and chairs are not movable and it becomes difficult to clean underneath the table and chairs by shifting them.
18. Find it difficult to bring things from the kitchen to the dining area while having a meal — This problem is important for Sneha because her kitchen is many steps away from the dining area and it is not so pleasant experience to get up in between the meal and bring things from the kitchen.
19. The concern of chair banging with the table or person sitting beside them while sitting — This is important for her because she wants to feel comfortable while sitting and her table is big and heavy, and may not be having necessary height for people to feel comfortable.
20. The person sitting on the opposite side of the table finds it uncomfortable to grab the things on the table — This is because of the rectangular shape of the table and due to its big size.
21. There is an issue related to lighting and electricity in the dining area — This is due to frequent cuts in electricity in her area.
22. Dislikes the fact that the dining table occupies much space in the dining area — This is important for Sneha to be solved because she wants to have more open space after placing the table.
23. Doesn’t like the fact that the colour and pattern of the table and chairs are not changeable — This is important for her to be solved because she wants to see some new every time. She doesn’t like the fact that she has to look at only one colour of the table and chairs all the time.
24. There is always a concern for the glass of water to fall from the table — This is important for her to solve because she doesn’t like to always stay concerned about the glass of water falling just by shaking or touching the glass.

Ideate:

This is a step where the exciting part comes. For this project, we were expected to come up with as many ideas as possible for all the problems that we identified. One of the techniques that it was recommended to use was crazy 8, where we had to come up with 8 ideas in 8 minutes for each problem. We can also take the help of others here. There wasn’t any idea, the bad idea here. We just have to open the door to all possible solutions. At first, naturally, some obvious and straightforward solutions came, but as I exercised more with the technique it opened my mind to creative and deeper ideas. After writing all the ideas we have to choose the top 3 ideas and write the reasons for choosing them. An important lesson that I learned here was that to have a good number of ideas and ideas that can solve problems on a large scale for people, it is necessary to have gone deeper roots of the problems. Here is the list of ideas for all the problems:-

Problem 1. Only a limited number of people can sit at the dining table:-
Ideas:- Keep the Dining table rounded in shape and keep it in the middle of the area so it can be used from all sides.
- Attaching a folding part to the wall in such a way that it can be opened whenever needed and used as a dining table.
- Designing a folding part attached to the wall such that it can be expanded for the further use of the table when guests come.
- Keeping the rounded table moving as well. So, the table can be placed anywhere in the house whenever is comfortable for more people to sit.
- Designing a folding table so that when there are fewer people it can be used folded and when there are more people it can be expanded as well.
- Creating an extendable platform in the kitchen that can also be used as a dining table.

Problem 2. The chairs are not comfortable:-
Ideas:- Design the chairs made from sponges or any other soft material to make them more comfortable.
- Designing chairs that are small and light in weight to move around the house for easy cleaning.
- Keeping the chairs moving so they can also be comfortably used and moved for cleaning.
- The design of the chairs should be kept light and such that they can be arranged easily in one another.
- Designing the height of chairs, keeping in mind the height of the table and the level at which a person normally feels comfortable sitting and having their meal.
- Keeping the height of the chairs adjustable.
- Designing the chairs that are simple, aesthetically pleasing, and made keeping in mind the right body posture needed while eating.
- Keeping the chairs both foldable and adjustable for the height the person wants.

Problem 3. The space in the dining area remains very little after putting the dining table and chairs:-
Ideas:- Keeping the dining table moving, so that it can be kept according to the house.
- Keeping the folding part attached to the wall in such a way that it can be opened and used as a dining table whenever needed and can be closed whenever not needed.
- Again keeping the folding part attached to the wall which can be used as a dining table and it can also be separated from the wall and can be placed anywhere in the house whenever comfortable for the user.
- Keeping the design of the dining table foldable.
- Designing a dining table that can be changed for its size by adjusting separate parts of the surface of the table.
- Building the kitchen platform in such a way that it also works as a dining table.
- Designing the shape of the dining table round, so that more people can sit at the same table.
- Building a dining table that can be separated and can be used by each individual separately and it can also be combined to sit together. So that, the users can use it separately in their comfortable place and also don’t occupy one bigger space in a room.
- The table which can be separated for every individual and can also be replaced with other surfaces such as a grill, hot plate, etc.

Problem 4. The person who is serving feels uncomfortable while serving:-
Ideas:- By keeping the middle portion of the dining table spinning.
- Building a robot that serves everyone efficiently.
- Building a machine in which separate things cooked can be filled in advance and which will serve people on their plate when pulled a trigger.
- Having a separate moving table for serving.
- Have a separate moving table that will have the serving machine on it and it can be moved with remote control whenever the user wants.
- Building a buffet system in the home in such a way that everyone can easily reach out.
- Building a dining table in which there is a stream of water that will flow across the table to serve everyone by floating the bowls.

Problem 5. There is no proper way for air and sunlight to come into the house:-
Ideas:- Designing a window beside the dining room.
- Creating a ventilator for dining and kitchen space.
- Having a chimney in the kitchen.
- Creating an air filter for homes.
- Creating a glass roof of the house that allows sunlight to pass.

Problem 6. The arrangement of table and chairs is not proper, especially when having a TV in the same room:-
Ideas:- The table should be C-shaped so that the people can face the TV as well as the dining table.
- Have a table that can be separated for yourself so that the user can sit whenever they are comfortable and it can also be joined to sit together with family.
- Having a mirror in the area from where the people who can’t see the TV can watch it in the mirror.
- The table and chairs should be moving.

Problem 7. The difficulty in grabbing things on the table for people sitting at the table:-
Ideas:- Keeping the shape of the table rounded. So, each person finds it easy to grab things on the table.
- Keeping the middle portion of the table spinning, so everything kept on it is reachable to all.
- Building a buffet system in a house such that everyone finds it easy.
- Creating a serving machine that is moving and can be controlled with a remote, in which cooked stuff can be filled in advance.
- Keeping the size of the table such that everyone sitting at the table can grab the things on it.
- Have an extra moving table that can be used for serving while eating.

Problem 8. The difficulty in keeping utensils along with plates and glass on the table while having a meal:-
Ideas:- Design a different section in the table to keep the extra utensils.
- Creating a serving machine that is moving and can be controlled through a remote in which stuff can be filled in advance before having a meal.
- Building special small-sized utensils for serving while having a meal.
- Creating a buffet system in a house, which is easy for everyone to reach.
- Making a folding table that can be expanded whenever needed for more space to keep the stuff.
- Designing an extra serving table that is moving and has various compartments for all the items.

Problem 9. The difficulty in cleaning the area underneath the table:-
Ideas:- Making the table from unbreakable material. So, there is no fear of breaking the glass.
- Keeping the table moving by introducing wheels with the legs of the table.
- Having a foldable table and chairs.
- Designing movable chairs as well for easy cleaning in the area.
- Designing the table that is attached to the wall and opened and can be used as a dining table.
- Designing lightweight, simple and comfortable chairs that can be easily shifted from one place to another and can be arranged in one another for keeping it in less space.
- Making a floor cleaner that can easily clean underneath the dining table and chairs.
- Make the legs of the table far apart so that it makes the person clean underneath the table.

Problem 10. Difficulty in managing things on the table and in the dining area:-
Ideas:- Create some sections in the table for sticking notes to remind people to stay organized. So, that the user itself creates a healthy lifestyle.
- Have a dedicated drawer for keeping things in the dining area.
- Have compartments with changeable labels in the dining area to keep the particular things in it.
- Having a machine that reminds one on the set timings to the user, for the particular thing set.

Problem 11. There is no separation between the kitchen and dining area for the guests:-
Ideas:- Have translucent glass between the kitchen and dining area.
- Have a curtain between the kitchen and dining area.
- Have a wooden sheet between the kitchen and dining area.
- Have a door between the kitchen and dining area.
- Having designer furniture between the kitchen and dining area.
- Having a foldable divider between the kitchen and dining area.
- Have a fake plant or plants between the kitchen and dining area that are hanging to the ceiling and can be dragged to the side whenever not needed.
- Having a sliding-designed fibre or wooden separator.

Problem 12. Difficulty in arranging TV in the dining area:-
Ideas:- Having a TV attached to the wall and having an anti-glare, eye protection shield on it. So, the TV doesn’t damage the eyes even if it is closer to the eyes.
- Having eye protection glasses when the TV is attached to the wall and is still closer to the eyes.
- Having a projector in the dining area, which is attached to the ceiling and is directly connected to the setup box.
- Having a mini-TV that can be easily placed in a smaller area and doesn’t affect the eyes so much even if closer.

Problem 13. Feel discomfort when many things needed to be kept on the dining table while having a meal:-
Ideas:- Designing a serving machine in which all the items can be filled in advance before having a meal and which can be controlled through the remote. The food gets served on the plate when the button is triggered, for that particular item.
- Have a table that has a separate compartment for placing extra things on the table.
- Having a big sized table which can be folded whenever not needed and can be opened for keeping extra things while having a meal.
- Have a separate table to keep extra things that can be movable through a remote control.
- Having separate serving utensils that can be kept on the table and occupy less space.
- Having some special serving container that has many compartments for every item and can be placed on the table and occupies less space. Which is also reachable to all people sitting at the table.

Problem 14. Finding it difficult to bring things from the kitchen to the dining area before and while having a meal:-
Ideas:- Designing a serving machine in which all the items cooked can be filled within the kitchen and which can be controlled through a remote. So, that it can move around with the remote to the space of each person.
- Keeping a separate moving table with more than one compartment for moving things from the kitchen to the dining area.
- Creating a buffet system in a house where it is easy for everyone to reach the items.
- Have a portable dining table and chairs so they can be placed near to the kitchen where it feels comfortable to shift things.

Problem 15. There is always a concern of chair banging with the table or other person sitting beside while sitting on the dining table:-
Ideas:- Having a good reasonable height of the table for convenience.
- Have portable and adjustable chairs for height.
- Having lightweight, easy-to-handle chairs which are also comfortable to sit on.
- Keeping the table moving, so it can be adjustable while sitting.

Problem 16. The lighting and frequent connection issues while having a meal:-
Ideas:- Having a traditional candlelight system in a house is a second option.
- Have a charging lamp for the dining area.
- Having a generator for such issues.
- Having charging lights for the dining room.
- Having solar energy power connection for backup.
- Have a traditional chandelier in the space that will reflect the light of one candle all around the room.

Problem 17. Dislikes the fact that dining table occupies much of dining space:-
Ideas:- Having a small rounded table.
- Having a rounded and moving table, so it can be adjusted whenever fits right.
- Have a folding table, so that it can be expanded whenever needed and folded whenever not in use.
- Have a table that can be expanded from the wall and attached to the wall.
- Having a table that can be separated for individual people and can also be joined for the family to sit together.

Problem 18. Doesn’t like the fact that the colour and pattern of the table and chairs are not changeable:-
Ideas:- Have a variety of sheets to be covered on the dining table for different colours and patterns.
- Having a variety of covers for the chairs in different colours and patterns every time.
- Having the base of the table of some shiny and reflective material. So, it shines in the light.
- Having the lights in the dining area that are colourful and changing as per user’s needs.
- Having the walls of the dining area of some attractive and refreshing colours changeable according to the needs of users.
- Have sticky material changeable sheets for the table and chairs with different colours and patterns which can be reused.

Problem 19. Difficult to hold a glass of water on the table:-
Ideas:- Have a dedicated bowl-like section for each person on the table for holding a glass of water, which can be separated for cleaning.
- Have a sticky pad for holding a glass on the table that can be removed when not needed.
- A stand may be made up of steel, fibre, or plastic for holding a glass for each person sitting at the table.
- Have a common steel stand in the middle of the table for holding glasses of water for everyone sitting at the table.
- A sliding section for holding a glass that opens from underneath the table whenever needed, and that can also be separated from the table for cleaning.

After writing all the ideas, it was time to choose the top 3 ideas and the reasons behind choosing these ideas. The important lesson I learned here was that here we are trying to solve the problem for the users and not for myself, so I have to choose the ideas that could impact the people on large scale and also benefit the business in return. It was a tough task to select the top 3 ideas, but we as a designer have to be clear on what we are solving. So, finally, I chose my top 3 ideas.

1. Building a serving machine, in which there are separate sections for every item that is cooked, which can be filled in it and which is attached to a moving table that can be controlled through a remote. The food gets served on the person’s plate when a particular trigger for that item is pressed.
- I chose this idea because many of the users were facing the issue of bringing things from the kitchen and keeping those things on the table. As it was controlled by remote, it also solved the inconvenience the users were facing to get up in between the meal to bring the things from the kitchen. It also solves the issue of discomfort in keeping many things on the table while having a meal. And, the person who was serving everyone sitting at the table doesn’t have to feel that inconvenience anymore. Now, there is no need to have a bigger table for keeping those items. A single product can solve so many problems at a time that is for a larger section of people. And, making the dining experience and having meals together with the family so much pleasure.

2. Building a rounded moving table, having a middle portion as spinning, which can also be foldable from two sides after removing the spinning part and can be used in a smaller space. Keeping the chairs lightweight, comfortable, and easy to handle, which can be arranged in one another when not in use to keep them in the smaller space.
- This idea was selected keeping in mind the space issue occurring for many users due to the dining table and chairs. The moving table and lightweight chairs allow the users to keep the table whenever it feels comfortable for them. It solves the issue of space as well as the cleaning issue underneath the table or chairs. The round shape and spinning part of the table allow everyone sitting on the table to comfortably grab the things on the table. The foldable feature of the table allows the users to keep the table in a small space whenever not much is in use. The light weight of chairs is kept to allow the users to shift the chairs easily from one place to another and makes it easy for the user to clean up the space. The design of chairs is kept such that they can be arranged in one another whenever not in use and can be shifted easily from one place to another for easy cleaning and solving space issues. The product has the potential to solve the problems that many users were facing in the dining area.

3. A folding table that is attached to the wall, and becomes the surface of the dining table when opened, which can also expand for extra people to sit, and can be closed and becomes part of the wall as close. The compartment for chairs is also designed with a wall and the chairs are kept lightweight and foldable, so whenever not in use can be kept in a smaller space of the compartment.
- This idea was chosen to solve the issue of space and cleaning issues in the area due to the dining table and chairs. As the table is attached to the wall, it gets completely closed whenever not in use. This solves the issue of space and cleaning completely. The user can use the space for many other purposes when not opened. It will allow 4 people to sit when normally opened and allow 8 people to sit when expanded. The chairs are kept lightweight and foldable to allow the user to easily lift them and place them in the compartment designed with the wall.

Prototype:

This is the stage where finally we have to bring our ideas into reality. And actually, make a representational model of the solution we have come up with. Here, it was again a tough decision to be made to finalize one idea out of the top 3 that I selected in the previous step. The idea I decided to move forward with here was the second one as this was the fastest idea to implement and which I could think of clearly. The important lesson that I learned here was to choose and implement the idea as soon as possible without going into too much perfection. It was important to make a sketch of my product and test it with users to get their feedback. So, this is the first sketch that I drew after finalizing my product.

A portable dining table with wheels, having a spinning part in the middle to make everyone sitting on the table comfortable to grab things on the table easily, which can be separated when not needed. The table can also be folded from two sides to make it a rectangular smaller table to keep it in a small space after removing the spinning part. The chairs are made up of steel with sponge seats, designed in such a way that they can be lifted easily and arranged in one another for placing in small spaces and make it easy to clean the area.

Test:

After designing the product, it was time to get feedback from the users on whether it would work or not. It was very much important to see that the product is actually working for the users rather than me just being happy about my design and assuming that it will work. So, I again went back to the users which I interviewed and asked for feedback. The feedbacks that I got from the users were:-
- The design is good but because of the wheels, the dining table may not stay stable while serving or putting things on the table. It may become uncomfortable while eating as well if it is shaking or moving.
- The design is nice and it solves the major problems that you are trying to solve but the spinning part may become uncomfortable while separating it from the table and keeping it separate as the glass may be heavy.
- The chairs without back support may feel uncomfortable sitting for a long time.
- As the table is moving, it may shake every now and then and may become problematic for the glass of water to stay stable. There will always be a concern about falling the glass of water from the table.

After taking the users' feedback, I realized there were some changes to be made to my product to make it a more reliable product. Here, I also understood to solve the serving issue as well as the space issue, I was making the product more complicated to use. The spinning part was making it difficult for the user to take the advantage of folding table. So, finally, I decided I would solve only two major issues which I initially thought for this idea. The space issue and the cleaning issue were a major concern for many of the users, so I decided to solve only these problems properly. The important lesson that I learned here was to focus on only a few problems and solve them as better as possible rather than focusing on solving many problems at a time. After learning my lessons and taking users' feedback I designed a revised prototype.

In the revised prototype, I removed the spinning part completely and kept the table foldable from two sides as it was before. And, also included the cup holders for the glass of water to stay stable on the table. For the stability of the table, I also included a wheel lock in the wheels. For chairs, I tried to keep the chairs having back support that can be folded whenever not in use. For making it easy for users to clean the space and keep the chairs organized and shift all the chairs easily, I also included a portable stand for chairs in the design. The whole design is made such that the users don’t feel discomfort in cleaning the space and there remains more space in the room after keeping the dining table and chairs.

After iterating my design and again showing the revised prototype to some of the users, the feedback that I got from them was:-
- The design is very much improved. I like it now.
- I feel that the chairs will be more comfortable now.
- Lock system in the wheels, will now make the table more stable and comfortable.
- The glass or cup holder is double protection on the table after the wheel lock, but I think this is unnecessary on the table. It is ruining the look of the table. It is making the table aesthetically unpleasant.

Future Incorporations In The Project:

The table is still not aesthetically pleasing up to the mark. So, in the future, the product may be more pleasing to see as well. It may have some additional features to solve issues for keeping the extra things. The design may become more lighter and flexible in the future as well. There may be some features to solve serving issues.

Key Takeaways From The Project:

The most important thing I learned was to focus on building a product that was working for the users rather than building something that I think is a good and unique solution.
And, implementing your ideas faster, failing faster, and implementing the changes to make your product better that works for the users rather than sitting and thinking that is it a good solution or going into making it perfect.

Self Evaluation Of The Project:

As a fresher, even if I try hard to understand things, some things can’t be learned fully unless you do it, make mistakes, and realize them. It is true that I learned some things while doing it and corrected them in the case study itself. But, some things I realized after I completed my case study. Under the guidance of my mentor Anudeep Ayyagari I got to know the correct way of going about each stage and the whole project and I realized the mistakes that I made after completing the project. But, as our mentor says ‘making mistakes is not bad but realizing them, learning from them, and making your work better next time is important.’ So, instead of hiding my mistakes, I am attaching a file showing where exactly I made mistakes and how I could have done better at those points.

Payal Talekar - Self Evaluation.pdf